Prologue
First, there was nothing.
Then a large hole was ripped in the fabric of space around Mars.
The hole was huge, big enough to fit the Moon through and have room to spare. The edges of the hole crackled with purple lightning, and in the center of the hole, a starship began to emerge.
The ship was medium-sized: large enough to have weapons outfitted to it for combat, but small enough to be a difficult target in a firefight. The ship was black as the empty void around it, and all of the armouring on it pointed forward. The needle-like ends of the armouring were blast-capable, able to fire off 1000 shots per minute each. The spaceship was more than well-equipped for any ship-to-ship combat. Towards the back of the ship, four wing-like blades spun, providing the bridge and living quarters with artificial gravity. As soon as the ship was clear of the hole, it closed up as quickly as it had opened.
"Admiral!" said a short, grey-skinned hunchbacked alien at the controls of the starship. "We have arrived in the Sol System!"
The Supreme Admiral leaned forward in his chair. It had been 3 months since he had flown his ship, the Obsidian, into a wormhole, leaving what remained of his previous conquest behind him. The reports he had heard of this "Earth" planet intrigued him, and he had personally come to scout the planet out. The time spent in hyperspace had been long, but he was sure it would be worth the wait.
"Is the planet within scanning range?" barked the Admiral to his science officer. The officer nodded and pressed a few buttons, then looked at a viewing screen.
"The scans indicate billions of intelligent life-forms, in addition to billions that are not. The planet's core is molten nickel, among other elements. Perfect for fuelling the Nebulons."
The Admiral sat back. His fingers ground into the arms of the chair, and he grinned—not with happiness or joy, but with anticipation of the slaughter that was sure to come. He snapped his fingers and pointed at the communications officer.
"Call the troops that remained behind and send for the planet killers." He turned to the hunchback. "And set a trajectory for the red planet."
As the Obsidian settled into orbit around the fourth planet and activated its cloaking device, Admiral Sennith rose from his chair, ramrod straight with his hands clasped behind his back.
"It is going to be a wonderful apocalypse."
